The present invention relates to a storage box and, more particularly to a tool storage and tote box arrangement for accommodating tools such as punches and dies used, for example, in the production of pharmaceutical tablets and caplets.
Storage boxes of the aforementioned type have been proposed wherein dies are stored in a bottom of a container, with punches or the like being suspended from a tray adapted to be removably accommodated in the container.
In the proposed storage boxes, the removable tray is in the form of a grid work which supports the tools or punches by suspending the punches in the container by way of the heads provided on the respective tools. The grid work includes a plurality of square openings and is constructed so as to prevent the tools from swaying and coming in contact with each other. In use, each punch is inserted in the square opening of the grid work of the tray such that a key normally provided on the punch passes through a corner of the square for clearance purposes, with the key extending through the square opening and projecting on an opposite side of the tray.
One disadvantage of the above proposed storage box arrangement resides in the fact that if the tool or punch somehow turns while suspended in the tray, the key becomes trapped or lodged against the undersurface of the tray and the user must then rotate the tool or punch while pulling the same up slightly until the key reaches the proper position in the square opening so that the tool can be freely removed.
Another disadvantage of the above-proposed storage box construction resides in the fact that the dies are generally stored in the bottom of the container and access to such dies can only be gained by removing the storage tray which leads to yet a further disadvantage in that the lifted tray cannot be placed on any surface since the tools or punches could be ejected from the tray or, depending upon the number of tools in the tray, the tray would be unstable and the individual tools may collide with one another causing damage to the respective tools.
A still further disadvantage of the above-proposed storage box construction resides in the fact that the heads of the tools or punches rest flush on the upper surface of the tray thereby making it difficult to grasp or manipulate the tool or punch to remove the same from the tray.
In, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,972, a microdrill package is proposed for enabling a resilient suspended mounting of delicate drill bodies in a removable tray in order to eliminate or minimize breakage of the delicate drill bodies during transport and handling. This proposed arrangement suffers from the same disadvantages noted hereinabove and, in particular, once the tray is removed from the container, it cannot be placed on any surface without the suspended delicate drill bits being displaced from the tray or possibly subjected to damage.
In, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,994, yet another punch and die storage arrangement is proposed wherein the storage box includes a plurality of horizontal nests for horizontally storing punches, with horizontally extending drawers being provided for accommodating dies matching the stored punches. Additionally, a plurality of vertically oriented punch nests may be mounted on doors of the storage box which, when opened, provide access to the horizontally stored punches.
A disadvantage to the last proposed arrangement resides in the fact that by virtue of the horizontal disposition of the punches, access to the individual punches for the purpose of removing the same from the associated nest is difficult because of limited clearance between adjacent punches as well as between the punches and adjacent box structure.
DES275,822 and 2,889,985, for example, contain design proposals for tool storage or organizes arrangement but offer no insight in avoiding the above-noted disadvantages encountered in the prior art.
The aim underlying the present invention essentially resides in providing a tool storage and tote box arrangement for storing and carrying, for example, punches and dies used in the production of pharmaceutical tablets and caplets, which avoids, by simple means, shortcomings and disadvantages encountered in the prior art.
In accordance with advantageous features of the present invention, a storage and tote box for punches and dies used in, for example, the manufacturing of pharmaceutical tablets and caplets is provided wherein both the punches and dies are stored by a removable tray, with the punches being removably suspended in a tray removably mounted in a box or container. The tray is provided with a means for facilitating a removal of the respective punches, a means for positively locking the punches in the tray, and a means for accommodating the dies associated with the respective punches.
By virtue of the above-noted features of the present invention, the individual punches are suspended in such a manner that they do not contact each other or a bottom or side wall of the container or box thereby preventing any scratching, nicking, or denting of the punches.
Moreover, by virtue of the disposition of the corresponding dies on the tray, an easy access to the dies is provided without requiring a removal of the tray to gain access to such dies.
In accordance with further advantageous features of the present invention, the tray is provided with a plurality of round holes for accommodating the respective punches, with the holes being spaced from one another to provide sufficient clearance between the punches so as to prevent the individual punches from contacting each other during, for example, transporting of the box or a removed tray.
Moreover, the provision of the positional locking means in accordance with the present invention insures that the punches remain oriented relative to the tray exactly in the insert position thereby facilitating subsequent removal of the individual punches.
The positional locking means may, in accordance with the present invention, include a notched portion in the respective openings provided in the tray for accommodating a key portion provided on the respective punches. Moreover, the notch may have an axial length corresponding to an axial length of the key or may have a sufficient length for insuring a non-rotatable mounting of the punch relative to the tray.
Additionally, in accordance with the present invention, a guide or rail means is provided about a periphery of the grid work formed in the tray so as to accommodate the dies for the associated punches on an upper surface of the tray thereby providing access to the dies without requiring a removal of the tray from the container.
Advantageously, according to the present invention, means are provided in the vicinity of each of the through-holes provided in the removable tray for suspending a head of the respective punches at a predetermined spacing from the upper surface of the tray thereby facilitating a grasping of the individual punches to remove the same from the tray.
To insure the suspension of the individual punches in the tray while preventing the punches from striking each other during insertion or removal of the individual punches, during transporting of the storage box or removal of the tray from the container, according to still further features of the present invention, guide means are provided in a vicinity of each of the through holes in the tray for guiding at least a portion of an axial length of the punches when the punches are suspended in the tray.
Advantageously, the guide means for the punches may take the form of a single projecting portion preferably having a contour of the punches or may be fashioned as an extension of the through hole projecting beyond a lower surface of the tray.
In accordance with still further features of the present invention, the notches forming the positional locking means may be fashioned in the single projecting portion or extension of the through hole forming the guide means.
The notches forming the positional locking means may, in accordance with the present invention, have an axial length corresponding to the single projection portion or an extension of the through hole forming the guide means or may be formed as a projecting portion extending beyond an end of the single projecting portion of extension of the through hole.
Preferably, according to the present invention, the means for suspending the head of the respective punches includes a projecting portion extending upwardly from a top surface of the tray and disposed in a vicinity of the respective through holes, with the respective projecting portions including chamfered or beveled surface portions engageable with a beveled portion of the head of the punches.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tool storage and tote box which is simple in construction and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
Yet another object of the present invention resides in providing a tool storage and tote box which enables a suspension of tools in a tray of the storage and tote box in such a manner that the respective tools may be individually grasped for an easy removal.
Yet another object of the present invention resides in providing a tool storage and tote box which eliminates the need for removing a tray supporting the tools to provide access to dies or the like associated with the respective tools.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for the purpose of illustration only, one embodiment in accordance with the present invention.